Fixing of acoustic tiles



Oct 1 1 6 G. c. WRIGHT 3,058,171

FIXING OF ACOUSTIC TILES Filed Dec. 30, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 i 5 -L J1 E351 1 L 4 rm Oct. 16, 1962 G. c. WRIGHT FIXING OF ACOUSTIC TILES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 50, 1958 Unite States Patent 3,058,171 FIXING F ACOUSTIC TILES George Charles Wright, London, England, assignor of one-half to Unitone (Acoustic Tiles) Limited, London, England, a British company Filed Dec. 30, 1958, Ser. No. 783,848 Claims priority, application Great Britain J an. 17, 1958 3 Claims. (Cl. 204) The present invention is concerned with improvements in or relating to the fixing of acoustic tiles or panels.

It is common knowledge that perforated metal tiles or panels backed with an overlay of absorbent material provide an excellent method of correcting excessive reverberation trouble in auditoria of all kinds.

An accepted known method of suspension or fixing of these metal tiles or panels is to provide a continuous sheet metal section over parallel joints of the tiles or panels which section has two downwardly projecting arms formed with means for engaging turned up edges of the tiles or panels, or for engaging a continuous bead or intermittent dimples preformed along the edges of the tiles or panels.

It has been found in practice that tiles so fixed are very easily damaged when being removed to provide access to services above the ceiling, and even when special tools are provided with clip-on systems of suspension, the damage is still noticeable when tiles or panels are replaced.

It is an object of this invention to reduce the cost of assembling a ceiling composed of acoustic tiles or panels I and at the same time to simplify the operations of removing tiles or panels from the ceiling and replacing them without trouble or damage and without disturbing any other tile or panel.

As hereinafter described, this object of the invention is achieved by supporting the tiles or panels exclusively along their longitudinal marginal portions by means of connecting members arranged so that they can be slid along the longitudinal marginal portions of the tiles or panels to leave at least one tile or panel unsupported so that it will fall out of the ceiling. The tile or panel can be easily replaced merely by placing it in position and sliding back the connecting members to support it. According to the present invention there is provided a ceiling lined with tiles or panels arranged in side-by-side rows with the longitudinal edges of adjoining rows nearly abutting one another, wherein the said tiles or panels are suspended beneath a series of parallel elongated supports, the spacing of which corresponds approximately to the widths of the rows of tiles or panels, by means of connecting members of short length than the individual tiles or panels, said connecting members being slidable along said supports and having ledges supporting the tiles or panels on each side by slidable engagement with the longitudinally extending marginal portions thereof.

The said supports are advantageously constituted by inverted box channels and the connecting members by plates arranged for longitudinal movement in said channels, the ledges of said connecting members being provided on parts rigid with and depending from said plates.

If the said supports are constituted by inverted box channels, then they are preferably secured beneath an upper series of elongated inverted box channel supports disposed at right angles to said first mentioned supports by means slidably adjustable in the channels of said upper series and capable of being clamped in position after adjustment.

Some preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section of a ceiling taken in a plane parallel to the lengths of the supper. series of elongated box channels.

FIG. 2 is a section of this ceiling taken in a plane at right angles to FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective drawing partly cut away, showing two metal panels of the ceiling according to the embodiment of FIG. 1 supported below an elongated box channel by means of a connecting member formed by punching lugs out of a plate.

FIG. 4 is a section corresponding to FIG. 1 of an alternative embodiment showing a lower elongated box channel, a connecting member and two tiles, and

FIG. 5 is a similar section of a further embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the acoustic tiles or construction elements 1 to be fixed are perforated metal panels 24 in. square with upturned marginal portions 2 approximately 1 in. deep. The top edges of these marginal portions 2 are bent inwards at right angles to form A in. inturned flanges 3. Thus, when two such tiles are placed with their marginal portions 2 nearly abutting, these marginal portions 2 and the inturned flanges 3 on their top edges combine together (as shown in FIG. 3) to form composite T-section parts.

The supporting structure for these acoustic tiles comprises a series of hangers 4, in the form of 16 gauge steel straps, which are suspended in known manner from the floor structure above and support a primary grid of cold rolled sheet metal inverted box channels 5, disposed parallel to each other at about 3 foot centres. Secured beneath this primary grid, by means of machine screws 6 engaging in square tapped washers 7 which rest upon lipped flanges 8 of the primary grid channels 5 is a secondary grid of inverted box channels 9 spaced at 2 foot centres.

Arranged for longitudinal sliding movement in the box channels 9 of the secondary grid are a number of connecting members constituted by metal shuttle plates 1!). Each of these shuttle plates 10 consists of a flat-rectangular plate with a pair of lugs 11 stamped out of its middle part (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3). The width of the shuttle plates 10 is only slightly less than the internal Width of the box channels 9 so that the longitudinal marginal portions of the shuttle plates are slidably supported on the inturned flanges 12 at the mouths of the box channels. The length of each shuttle plate 10 is 1% times its width. The lugs 11 have their roots parallel to and spaced from the longi tudinal edges of the rectangular plate and are first inclined downward and toward one another transversely to the direction of movement of the plate and have their proximate ends bent to form the horizontal inturned parts 13 (FIG. 1) which constitute ledges for supporting the marginal portions 2 of the panel 1. The lugs 11 may be formed by shearing the centre portion of the plate along lines forming an H and then pressing down and bending the portions corresponding to those above and below the crosspiece of the H to form the two lugs.

The perforated sheet metal panels 1 are attached beneath the secondary grid by assembling them so that their marginal portions 2 form T-sections, as described above, located close beneath the mouths of the channels 9 of the secondary grid and then sliding the shuttle plates 10 into the channels 9 so that the horizontal inturned parts 13 of their lugs 11 are engaged beneath the cross pieces of the T-sections. To enable this to be done, the upper parts of the marginal portions 2 of the panels are cut away at the corners as shown at 14in FIG. 3.

The box channel 9 and the shuttle plates 19 are so proportioned that the shuttle plates 10 can be placed in position by tilting it and inserting them between the flanges 12, thus allowing the shuttle plates 10 to be placed in position after the secondary grid has been erected.

The shuttle plates 10 can be pushed along the channels 9 with the aid of a palette knife, the blade of which is introduced between the marginal portions 2 of adjoining panels.

In the assembled ceiling, one or more shuttle plates are engaged as described above with each pair of adjoining marginal portions 2 of the metal panels.

In an alternative embodiment, shown in FIG. 4, board tiles 1 are secured beneath the secondary grid of box channels 9. For this purpose, the board tiles 1 are formed with lateral grooves in which are adapted to engage the lower flanges of I-section connecting members 16, the upper flanges of which constitute the plates of the connecting members, and are slidably supported on the inturned flanges 12 at the mouths of the inverted box channels 9 of the secondary grid.

In yet another embodiment, shown in FIG. 5, the upturned marginal portions of the perforated metal panels instead of being provided with horizontal inturned flanges 3 (FIG. 1), have lugs 17 pressed out towards the insides of the panels. In this case, the connecting members are extruded sections each comprising a rectangular plate 18 and an inverted box channel part 19 formed integrally with the rectangular plate. The longitudinal margins of the rectangular plates 18 are slidably supported on the inturned flanges 12 at the mouths of the inverted box channels 9 of the secondary grid, and the bottom flanges of the inverted box channel parts 19 are adapted to be engaged beneath the lugs 17 on the insides of the adjoining pairs of marginal portions 2 of the perforated metal panels.

Around the perimeter of the room, a channel or moulding (not shown) is provided to support and cover the cut edges of the tiles.

A tile or panel can easily be removed from the ceiling by inserting the blade of a palette knife between the marginal portions of the tile or panel to be removed and the adjoining tiles or panels, and moving the connecting members supporting the tile or panel to be removed along the channels until it drops freely away from the secondary grid.

I claim:

1. A ceiling comprising a plurality of panels arranged in side-by-side rows with the longitudinal edges of adjoining rows nearly abutting one another and having an improved suspension system comprising a series of parallel elongated supports disposed above the panels and spaced apart a distance corresponding approximately to the widths of the rows of panels, said elongated supports having structure at the opposite edges thereof extending downwardly and inwardly forming parallel tracks extending across the ceiling from one side to the other and positioned directly above the nearly abutting longitudinal edges of adjoining rows of panels, said longitudinal edges of said panels having yieldable marginal portions bent up at an angle to the main part of said panels, and then bent inwardly at an angle to form inturned flanges extending parallel to and above the main part of said panels, and a plurality of shuttle plates corresponding in number at least to that of each adjoining pair of panels in adjoining rows, each of said shuttle plates having outwardly extending edges at the opposite sides thereof supported on said inwardly extending structure of said tracks for slideable support therealong, said shuttle plates each having a length substantially shorter than the individual panels and a width slightly less than the spacing between said downwardly extending structure at the opposite edges of said elongated supports so that said shuttle plates are slideable lengthwise of said tracks in either direction, each said shuttle plate consisting of a flat plate with a pair of lugs cut out of its middle part, said lugs extending downwardly from adjacent the outer edges of said plate and terminating in a pair of spaced substantially horizontal inturned ledges supporting the panels on each side thereof by slideable engagement with the underside of said inturned flanges on said longitudinal edges of said panels, said supporting ledges for said panels permitting introduction from beneath the ceiling of a thin tool blade between said nearly abutting yieldable marginal portions of said panels '11 adjoining rows to engage an end of said shuttle plates 4 for sliding movement of said shuttle plates along said tracks relative to the panels whereby individual panels may be removed and mounted in place by sliding said shuttle plates along said tracks out of and into the locations of the corresponding panels.

2. A ceiling comprising a plurality of panels arranged in side-by-side rows with the longitudinal edges of adjoining rows nearly abutting one another and having an improved suspension system comprising a series of parallel elongated supports disposed above the panels and spaced apart a distance corresponding approximately to the widths of the rows of panels, said elongated supports having structure at the opposite edges thereof extending downwardly and inwardly forming parallel tracks extending across the ceiling from one side to the other and positioned directly above the nearly abutting longitudinal edges of adjoining rows of panels, said longitudinal edges of said panels having marginal portions extending upwardly at right angles to said panels, and inwardly providing flange portions extending parallel to and longitudinally of said panels, and a plurality of shuttle plates corresponding in number at least to that of each adjoining pair of panels in adjoining rows, each of said shuttle plates having outwardly extending edge structure at the opposite sides thereof slideably supported on said inwardly extending structure of said tracks, said shuttle plates each having a length substantially shorter than the individual panels and a width slightly less than the spacing between said downwardly extending structure at the opposite edges of said elongated supports so that said shuttle plates are slideable lengthwise of said tracks in either direction, each said shuttle plate having depending lug structure extending downwardly from a region between said outwardly extending edge structure and terminating in a pair of spaced substantially horizontal ledges supporting the panels on each side thereof by slideable engagement solely with the underside of said flange portions on said longitudinal edges of said panels, said supporting ledges for said panels on said shuttle plates permitting introduction from beneath the ceiling of a thin tool blade between said nearly abutting marginal portions of said panels in adjoining rows to engage an end of said shuttle plates for sliding movement of said shuttle plates along said tracks relative to the panels whereby individual panels may be removed and mounted in place by sliding said shuttle plates along said tracks out of and into the locations of the corresponding panels.

3. A ceiling comprising a plurality of metal panels arranged in side-by-side rows with the longitudinal edges of adjoining rows nearly abutting one another and having an improved suspension system comprising a series of parallel elongated supports disposed above the panels and spaced apart a distance corresponding approximately to the widths of the rows of panels, said elongated supports having structure at the opposite edges thereof extending downwardly and inwardly forming parallel tracks extending across the ceiling from one side to the other and positioned directly above the nearly abutting longitudinal edges of adjoining rows of panels, said longitudinal edges of said panels having yieldable upturned marginal portions extending at right angles to said panels, the top edges of said upturned portions being bent inwards at right angles to form inturned flanges extending longitudinally of said panels so that for each pair of panels the adjacent marginal portions and the inturned flanges at their tops combine together to form composite T-sections, and a plurality of shuttle plates corresponding in number at least to that of each adjoining pair of panels in adjoining rows, each of said shuttle plates having outwardly extending edges at the opposite sides thereof slideably supported on said inwardly extending structure of said tracks, said shuttle plates each having a length substantially shorter than the individual panels and a width slightly less than the spacing between said downwardly extending structure at the opposite edge of said elongated supports so that said shuttle plates are slideable lengthwise of said tracks in either direction, each said shuttle plate having a pair of spaced depending lugs extending plates along said tracks relative to the panels whereby indownwardly from between said outwardly extending edge dlvldpajl P 9 y be removed mounted 111 Place structure and terminating in spaced substantially horizon- PS slldlllg salfi Shuttle Plates along sflld tracks out Of and tal inturned ledges supporting the panels on each side Into the locatlons 0f the correspondmg P thereof by slideable engagement with the underside of 5 said inturned flanges which form the cross pieces of said References Clted m the file of thls patent T-sections, said supporting ledges for said panels permit- UNITED STATES PATENTS ting introduction from beneath the ceiling of a thin tool 2,0 6,255 Dempsey Dec. 29, 1936 blade between said nearly abutting yieldable marginal por- 2,277,792 Small Mar. 31, 1942 tions of said panels in adjoining rows to engage an end 10 2,340,911 Urbain Feb. 8, 1944 of said shuttle plates for sliding movement of said shuttle 2,818,235 Baran Dec. 31, 1957 

